Consolidated Packaging Group (CPG) prides itself on fast time to market, quality and a high level of customer service. But perhaps the Ridgefield Park, New Jersey-based printer/converter’s biggest competitive advantage is how diversified it is in its business.

Case in point: The last time we caught up with CPG in 2010, it employed about 100 workers and was doing roughly $26 million in annual sales. Today, the company has three manufacturing facilities (and is eyeing adding a fourth out west), employs about 450 workers and is up to about $80 million in annual sales. And if you ask Gary Kaufman, CPG’s executive vice president, the boom in growth has a lot to do with the company’s diversification.

“CPG is one of the largest manufacturers of pre-zippered film in the United States,” he notes. “We (also) manufacture Inno-Lok, Bag Top, Pour & Lok, and 360 zippered films.”

Kaufman continues: “We manufacture flat-bottom pouches, standup pouches, shaped pouches, spigot pouches and lay-flat pouches. All of our printing presses are 10 colors and we print in high definition, utilizing 4-color process as well as extended gamut. We also can laser score film and we manufacture microwaveable films and pouches. We have extrusion lamination as well as solventless adhesive lamination capabilities. We also have an EZ-Stand machine and can manufacture pre-zippered and pre-gusseted film so you can make a standup pouch off a VFFS machine.”

CPG was founded in 2004 from the remnants of Manhattan Polybag Co. Today, in addition to its New Jersey headquarters, the company operates manufacturing facilities in Orland, Indiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio. It hopes to add a facility out west soon to further enhance its national footprint.

“Our growth has been mostly organic and has come from manufacturing almost every type of flexible packaging that you would find in the marketplace,” says Kaufman.

Always an Ear to the Ground

Kaufman is quick to point out the great partners that CPG has developed along the supply chain – from Nordmeccanica to Henkel – that have helped fuel its growth and enabled the company to offer quick lead times. What’s more is that CPG is always on the lookout for new technologies and equipment that will further meet the goals of it and its customers.

“It’s safe to say that we have one of the newest fleets in the industry,” says Kaufman. “With our diversification of product, can-do attitude and commitment to quality and service, we fully expect that we will continue to be an industry leader in innovative flexible packaging.”

Take CPG’s R&D department, for instance. The company invests more than $250,000 annually on R&D projects. One of its most popular innovations is the ability to de-matte matte film in register. Kaufamn says this allows the consumer to view the actual product through a clear window in an otherwise matte material. Kaufman also says that the company plans to bring a recyclable standup pouch to market soon.

Having the latest equipment and being able to regularly offer new, innovative products helps with CPG’s customer-centric approach. Not only is the company able to act as a one-stop shop of sorts based on all that it has to offer, but it works with its customers along the way to help produce the best possible product.

“We have fully equipped labs and experienced technicians who can help our customers make sure their equipment is operating to maximum efficiency, and we can audit their existing specs to make sure that they are keeping up with new technologies,” says Kaufman. “Many times, film specs are grandfathered in, and we can reduce the weight of the package, which serves to help the environment and the customers’ bottom line without compromising on shelf appearance and food safety. We believe in complete transparency between our customers and our graphic house. This eliminates the possibility that something may have gotten lost in translation and increases our speed to market. We have an extremely fast timeline from art files to plates. We generally ship within two weeks from approval of artwork.”

Serious About Sustainability

CPG is recognized by New Jersey as a sustainable manufacturing business based on the policies and processes that have been implemented in its flagship facility. From an equipment standpoint, the company has replaced all of its solvent-based adhesives with eco-friendly ones in its lamination department. It also works to resell or reprocess the polyethylene byproducts of its manufacturing process. Programs have been established to recycle common materials used in the conversion process, such as cores, pallets and metals.

By 2020, CPG has set some lofty sustainability goals. Specifically, it wants to reduce electricity use by 20 percent, reclaim 95 percent of its solvents, improve press emission destruction to 97 percent and become a zero waste to landfill facility.

Consolidated Packaging Group

(201) 440-4240; www.conpackgroup.com